Monks banned from festival

A matter of respect: Officials said the decision to ban monks from Battambang’s Water Festival aimed to protect Buddhist values. — AFP

THE Battambang Provincial Hall will prohibit monks from events marking this year’s Water Festival, in an apparent move to safeguard their purity from being sullied by the jostle of crowded space.

The Kampong Thom Provincial Administration has also held off celebrating the festival due to concerns about rising water levels.